


Discovering Family

by BSBLover2538



Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Discovery, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-13 14:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19253398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSBLover2538/pseuds/BSBLover2538
Summary: Mason gets the shock of his life when his adoptive parents tell him that his biological parents want to meet him. What follows is a road Mason never imagined himself traveling on.





	1. Chapter 1

Mason looked at his adoptive parents in disbelief. He had always known he was adopted, but now his biological parents wanted to meet him. Mason shook his head, and looked at his parents, tears in his eyes. He didn’t know what to do, what to think. The thought of meeting his biological parents never occurred to him. Mason knew he couldn’t do anything himself until he was 18, so he never thought about it.  

“What....?” he looked at his mom, Liana, and his dad, Dylan.  

“The adoption agency contacted us, and told us that your biological parents reached out. They want to meet you, if you want it” Dylan explained to his 15-year-old son.  

Mason looked up at them, and bit his lip. His head was whirling. He really didn’t know if he wanted to meet his biological parents. Of course, he had questions, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted the answers to them. He sighed, and looked at his parents.  

“Can I think about this?” he asked, and they both nodded. Liana pulled her son into her arms, and held him tightly to her.  

“Of course, you can have all the time in the world. No rush on this at all. Just let us know your decision. And baby, we don’t care what you decide. If you decide to meet them, we will be there every step of the way” Liana reassured her son, who hugged her tightly in response.  

“Thanks Mom, I love you. Love you too Dad” he turned to Dylan, and hugged him tightly as well.  

“Love you son” the two watched their son go up to his room, and they looked at each other, before Liana laid in Dylan’s arms, tears coming to her. She cried for her son, and for the inner turmoil he was going through.  

“I hope we are doing the right thing” was all she said, and Dylan nodded. They held each other, and hoped that their son would make his decision soon.  

The next few days were tough for Mason. He was going back and forth in his head whether or not to meet his biological parents. He decided to talk to his best friend from childhood Zach, get his opinion.  

“Zach, can I tell you something, and get your take on it?” Mason looked at him, and Zach nodded. 

“Of course dude, what’s going on?” the younger boy asked, and Mason groaned lightly. 

“You know how I’m adopted?” at Zach’s nod, he continued, “well my biological parents want to meet me” 

“Really man?” Zach asked in disbelief, and Mason inclined his head. 

“Yep. Mom and Dad told me a few days ago. I’ve been trying to decide whether or not to meet them since then. I think I should, but I really don’t know. What do you think?” Zach shook his head, and put a hand on Mason’s shoulder. 

“I’d say the best thing to do is follow your heart. It will lead you where to go. I think you already know, but you are afraid. But I get your fear. I obviously have never been in your shoes, but that’s a very hard situation to be in” Zach said seriously, and Mason gaped at him. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Zach?” he asked incredulously, and Zach smirked at him. 

“I can be serious and philosophical if I want to be dude, you just never see it, because we are too busy ogling the girls in school” Zach grinned, and Mason punched him in the shoulder. 

“Shaddup” Mason said irritably, and Zach just shrugged. 

“You asked” he reminded his older friend, and Mason sighed, nodding. 

“Thanks man, that helps. I appreciate it more than you know” Mason smiled at Zach, who just nodded, and rubbed his back. 

“No problem, I’m here for you, you know that” Mason grinned, and the two went off to play basketball in the park.

Mason took another few days to decide, before finally coming to a decision. He just hoped that his parents were serious about staying by him no matter what his decision was. Mason knew it was time to talk to his parents. 

“Mom, Dad can I talk to you?” Mason asked one night after dinner, and Liana and Dylan looked at each other.  “Of course, what’s going on?” Dylan asked, and Mason swallowed, before looking at both of his parents. 

“I want to meet them. I want to meet my biological parents” he spoke softly and hesitantly, and Dylan and Liana scooped their son up in their arms.  

“We will call the adoption agency back tomorrow and tell them that we want to set up a meeting with them” Liana told her son, who nodded. The three hugged, and Dylan declared a movie night. 

“I call Remember the Titans” Mason requested, and Dylan groaned. 

“What is it about that movie that you love so damn much?” he asked, and Mason smirked lightly. 

“I just love it” was all he said, and Dylan found it on Netflix, queuing it up. The family settled down together knowing that the next few days would turn everything upside down. 

The next day, Liana talked to the adoption agency, who offered to set the meeting up for the following Friday, after Mason got out of school. Liana agreed, and told the agent that her, Dylan, and Mason would be there at 3pm. 

“Mason, next Friday is the meeting with your biological parents” she told her son that night, causing Mason to blink at her. 

“Really?” he asked in a small voice, and Liana nodded. 

“Okay. You and Dad are coming, right?” Liana took her son in her arms, and held him tightly. 

“We would never not be there love. We want to meet them too” Mason nodded, and melted into his mother’s arms. 

“I am meeting them next Friday” Mason told Zach the next day, and his best friend nodded softly. 

“I can’t imagine what you are going through man. Just know I am here for you, and call me when it’s over if you need me” Zach told Mason, who bro-hugged him and nodded. 

“Thanks dude, I appreciate it” Mason told Zach as they walked towards their shared history class. 

The next week passed slowly, the butterflies in Mason’s stomach getting larger and larger as the days went by. He wasn’t regretting his decision, but didn’t realize it would be happening so soon. 

“Mom, Dad, do we have any of the photo albums from my childhood around?” Mason wanted to bring photos to show his biological parents what his childhood had been like. 

“Yes, I’ll grab a few of them. You want to bring pictures right?” at Mason’s nod, Dylan smiled, and ruffled his son’s blonde hair. The three picked out a number of photos to bring, all showing different stages of Mason’s life. Liana and Dylan were as anxious as Mason was. 

Mason had been a semi-closed adoption, his biological parents had the option of contact, but never took it until now. Liana and Dylan had never met them, getting to the hospital a day after Mason’s parents had left. They wondered about them, but threw their focus into raising their son. 

Friday came, and all three were nervous as hell. Mason went to school, barely able to focus. Liana and Dylan both took half days at work, so they were home in time for Mason’s bus to drop him off. Mason came home, changed, and the three were off to the adoption agency that handled his case 15 years ago. 

“Love you Mom and Dad” Mason said as they got out of the car, hugging both his parents. They smiled, and walked with Mason holding each of their hands, into the agency. The three met the social worker, who told them that his parents were already there. Mason stopped, took a deep breath, and nodded. 

“They are right through that door. Whenever you want to go in, do so. You have all the time you need” the social worker told the family of three, who nodded. 

“I need a hug” Mason looked at Liana and Dylan, who grabbed their son at the same time, hugging him tightly. Liana kissed his forehead, and Dylan ruffled his hair. Mason glared at his dad, before fixing his hair, and taking another deep breath, and opening the door. His breath caught in his throat, as he looked at his biological parents for the first time ever. 


	2. Chapter 2

The door opened, and Mason saw a man and woman sitting on a couch, holding hands. They looked up, and the man’s eyes widened, seeing his son. He looked like a younger version of him, and his breath caught. Mason moved into the room, and his parents followed. Liana and Dylan noticed the resemblance between their son and his biological father immediately. 

“Hi, my name is Mason” Mason spoke softly, and the couple on the couch stood up. The man put his arms around the shorter woman, and they both smiled. 

“My name is Kevin Richardson, and this is my wife Kristin. We are your biological parents” Kevin got out, and watched as his son approached him. 

“Well now I know where my green eyes come from” Mason smiled, and the ice was broken. Kevin and Kristin chuckled, and Kevin extended his hand for his son to shake. Mason looked back at his parents, who nodded. 

“I want to hug you, if that is okay?” he asked unsurely, and Kristin’s eyes filled with tears. She took her oldest son into her arms for the first time in 15 years, having only held him once when he was first born, knowing they were giving him up for adoption. 

“Hi Mason” she spoke, tears in her eyes. Mason hugged his biological mother, before hugging Kevin. He pulled away, and looked back at his parents, motioning them closer. 

“Kevin, Kristin, these are my parents, Dylan and Liana Simmons” Mason introduced his parents, and Kevin and Kristin smiled. Kevin held his hand out, and Dylan shook it firmly. Liana and Kristin shook hands, and it reversed as well. After the introductions, the two couples sat on the couches, Mason in between his mom and dad. 

“So Mason, I know you probably want answers right?” Kristin asked, smiling at her oldest son. Mason nodded, and looked at both of his biological parents. 

“Short story is that we were both 18 when we had you. Neither of us could care for you properly. We knew you deserved a better life, and we wanted that for you. The two of us came to the decision to place you for adoption, and we thought it would be better if you didn’t constantly hear from us” Kristin looked at her son, who nodded. 

“I kind of expected something like that. I just want to tell you, that my parents are amazing, and I am so glad I got to grow up with them. Can I show you guys my childhood, reassure you a bit?” Mason asked, and Kevin and Kristin nodded eagerly. 

“Mason pulled out his childhood albums a couple days ago, and pulled a bunch of photos out. He wanted to show you guys” Liana spoke, pulling the photos out and handing them to Mason. He flipped through a few, before grinning softly. 

“This is me showing Mom my first poops in the potty” Kristin and Kevin grinned softly seeing the photo. 

“This is my first day of Kindergarten” Mason showed the classic photo of a little boy with a backpack too big for him, grinning happily. 

“You look so happy” Kevin commented, and Dylan snorted. 

“Five minutes after that photo was taken he was screaming bloody murder because he had to take the backpack off” the four adults chuckled, and Mason blushed. 

“Thanks Dad” Mason grunted, before showing off his childhood to Kevin and Kristin. The couple smiled, cried a bit, but were genuinely very happy to see their oldest son so well adjusted. 

“Question for you Kevin, do I have any other siblings?” Mason asked suddenly, and Kevin and Kristin looked at each other, biting their lips. 

“You have a little brother named Maxwell. He’s 5” Kevin admitted, and Mason nodded. He had a feeling that his biological parents had had more children. He wasn’t upset in the least. Mason understood his parent’s decision, and respected them for it. 

“So what do you guys do?” Mason asked, and Kristin blew out a breath. 

“Well, I stay home with Max, since Kevin is gone so much” Kristin turned to her husband, who rubbed his hands together. 

“I actually am part of a vocal group, and we just got off a tour” Kevin looked at his son, whose eyes widened. 

“You sing?” he asked, and Kevin nodded. 

“I love music. We mostly listen to country, some rock, and classic rock. What genre do you sing in?” Mason asked curiously, and Kevin’s eyes widened. 

“Pop mostly. My group is called the Backstreet Boys” Kevin saw recognition not in his son’s eyes, but in his adoptive father’s. 

“I’ve heard a few of your songs. You guys are good” Dylan admitted, and Kevin blushed lightly. 

“Thanks Dylan, appreciate that” Kevin smiled, and Mason looked at his father in shock. 

“Can I hear something please, preferably with your vocals?” Kevin looked at Liana and Dylan, not wanting to disrespect their wishes. 

“You guys okay with that?” Kevin asked, and his son’s adoptive parents nodded. 

“Yes Kevin, we want Mason to know what his biological father does. We would never stop you from showing him your group’s music” Liana reassured the younger man. Kevin pulled out his phone, and scrolled through his playlist. He picked out a song, and let it play. Mason listened to the song, and grinned hearing his biological father’s voice. 

“That was good. Who are the other guys?” he asked curiously, and Kevin grinned softly. 

“I am the oldest, then it’s Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, and Nick Carter” Kevin listed his brother’s names. 

“Awesome. I want to hear more please” Kevin nodded, and played a few more songs. Mason grinned, loving the music. He turned to his parents with puppy dog eyes. 

“Can we get a couple of their albums please?” he begged, and Dylan and Liana rolled their eyes. 

“You know that doesn’t work on us Mason. That said, we will get a couple” Liana chuckled, and Mason whooped, causing all four adults to laugh softly. 

“Alright, the ball is in your court now. Kristin and I will take any type of contact you three are comfortable with” Kevin looked at Mason, Liana, and Dylan. 

“It’s up to Mason, he is 15, and mature for his age. There is nothing legal stopping anything. If you want us to stay in contact, we will. We would love for Mason to know his biological family, as long as we are also included in that” Dylan spoke, and Kevin and Kristin nodded in agreement. 

“Of course, that was never not in our thoughts. We would love to have you two in our family as well” Kristin smiled, and the four adults turned to Mason. 

“What do you want to do Mason?” Liana asked her son, who bit his lip. 

“I want to stay in contact. How about this, you four exchange numbers, and whenever something comes up with Kevin and Kristin’s family, they contact us, and we see if we can make it. If I want to spend time with you guys, I’ll have mom or dad contact you Kevin and Kristin, and we can make plans to hang out. I want to know my little brother, and I want to meet the rest of your family, and even Kevin’s bandmates if possible” Mason looked at his parents, and Kevin and Kristin. Their jaws were all dropped. 

“That’s perfect. What do you think Kevin and Kristin?” Dylan loved his son’s plan, and so did his wife. 

“We agree with it. Mason, that’s a wonderful idea” Kevin grinned. The four adults exchanged numbers, and Mason told Kevin and Kristin he wasn’t comfortable contacting them directly, until he turned 18. He preferred going through his parents, and they agreed with that. 

“That is no problem Mason, we will go through Liana and Dylan, that’s no issue” Kristin reassured her son, who grinned softly. 

“Can we possibly get a picture with you?” Kevin asked, and Mason nodded. He took a couple photos with Kevin and Kristin, and one with all five of them for Mason to have. 

The meeting ended with a round of hugs, and Kevin and Kristin promised to contact the Simmons family soon. Mason, Liana, and Dylan went back home, feeling very light and happy. Mason was so happy to have met his biological parents, and couldn’t wait to meet his brother and the rest of his biological family soon. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kevin and Kristin left the adoption agency feeling elated. After 15 years, they had seen their eldest son. They walked back to their car hand in hand, unable to believe what had just happened to them. 

“I can’t believe how much he looks like you, with my blonde hair” Kristin looked at her husband, who shook his head gently. 

“Neither can I. I was completely stunned when he walked in the door. What do you think about his parents? I really like them, and if we had picked them, they are exactly who I would have picked for Mason” Kevin replied, and Kristin smiled. 

“Liana and Dylan are amazing. You can tell Mason is their world. I am so beyond happy that he is theirs. I am so happy that Mason was able to decide what would happen from now on. He is incredibly mature, and I am so damn proud of him” Kristin sighed happily, and Kevin grinned. 

“Now we have to go home show Max the pictures of his brother. And I think it’s time to tell the others, and let Brian know how his cousin is doing” Kevin looked at Kristin, who nodded softly. 

“I agree. I’ll text Leighanne, and have her tell the others to meet at our place after dinner. The kids can all play, and we can talk, and drop the bombshell on them” Kristin pulled out her phone, and texted her cousin. 

“Alright, we will do that. We are almost home” Kevin drove for another ten minutes, and pulled into their driveway. He smiled seeing Max playing with his Uncle Nick. 

“Nick, come back around eight. We have something to tell you guys” Kevin looked at his youngest brother, who shrugged

“Okay…”he said, and Kevin rolled his eyes. He scooped Max up into his arms, and Nick said goodbye, saying he would be back later. Kristin and Kevin sat Max down, and the little boy looked at his mom and dad. 

“Where did you go? To see my brother?” Kristin nodded, and Max’s eyes widened. 

“What’s his name, what does he look like?” Max asked rapidly, and Kevin chuckled, pulling out his phone. 

“Here he is Max, his name is Mason” Kevin showed his youngest son the photo of his older brother, and Max looked between the photo and his dad. 

“He looks like you Daddy” Kevin nodded, smiling softly. 

“Yes he does. He’s 15, and likes football and music” Kristin told her youngest, who giggled happily. 

“Can we please tell my aunts and uncles? I don’t like hiding anymore” Max asked, and his parents both nodded. 

“We are telling them tonight, we promise. No more secrets” Max grinned, and ran off to play. 

Kevin and Kristin looked at each other, praying tonight would go well. Brian knew that they had given their child up for adoption, but didn’t know anything else. He had promised to not say anything, and he had kept that promise for more than 15 years now. It was more than time to tell the others about their oldest son. The next few hours flew by, and the doorbell soon rang. 

“Hey guys” Kevin greeted Howie, Leigh, and their sons, followed by Nick swinging by solo. AJ, Rochelle, and Ava soon arrived, and Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee were last. The group all chatted, before the kids all dispersed into the playroom. 

“What’s going on? What’s with the group meeting?” Howie asked, and Kevin and Kristin looked at each other, before Kevin held out his phone. 

“This is what’s going on” the 7 looked at the phone, their eyes widening. 

“Who is that between you two?” AJ asked, and Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. 

“That is Kris and I’s oldest son Mason. He is 15 now” Brian’s eyes widened, and he made a noise of recognition. 

“That’s my cousin? The one you guys gave up for adoption?” Kristin nodded, and Brian grabbed the phone. He looked at Mason, and looked back at Kevin. 

“He’s your image dude, with Kristin’s blonde hair” Brian stated the obvious, and Kevin snorted. 

“That’s the understatement of the century cuz” Kevin smiled, and looked at the others. 

“Brian, you knew?” Leighanne looked at her husband, who bit his lip. 

“Yes, Brian knew about the baby, but all he knew was that we gave it up for adoption. He didn’t know anything else. We didn’t want it spread beyond our family, especially after Kevin joined you guys, and you five went big” Kristin explained, and Leighanne calmed down a bit. 

“So you guys met him?” Nick asked, and Kevin nodded. 

“Yes, that is where we went today. We met him and his adoptive parents. He had actually never heard of us before. He was raised on rock and country. I played him a couple of our songs, and he then begged his parents to buy a couple of our albums” Kevin chuckled, and his brothers giggled. 

“That’s surprising, but I’m glad we have another fan. You two gonna see him again?” Howie questioned. 

“That’s the best part. He wants us in his life. Mason came up with the idea of all four of us exchanging numbers, and whenever we have something, to extend the invite to them. Mason eventually wants to meet Max, and the rest of our families, along with all of you” Kristin grinned at the dropped jaws. 

“Really?” Leigh asked, and both Kevin and Kristin nodded. 

“That is what he said. But we are going at his pace, so I don’t know when that will happen. We have a family barbecue in two months, and I will extend the invite to them for that. But I want Max and Mason to meet first, before anything else” Kristin said, and she got nods of agreement. 

“Of course Kris, that is completely fine, and we want that as well” Rochelle replied. 

Nick, Rochelle, AJ, Brian, Leighanne, Howie, and Leigh were stunned, but understood Kevin and Kristin’s reasons for hiding Mason from them. They wondered what would happen when they met the teen for the first time. 

“Do we want to tell the kids?” Leighanne brought up, and Kevin and Kristin nodded. 

“Max knows we are telling you guys, so it won’t be long before he tells them” Kevin smiled, and the adults all nodded. 

“Baylee, James, Holden, Ava, come here please” AJ called, and the four kids scurried in. 

“Has Max brought up someone named Mason to you guys?” Kristin asked, and Baylee nodded. 

“Yes, he told us he has a brother” Baylee looked confused. The 12 year old was so thrown. He didn’t know who Max’s brother was. 

“This is Mason, Max’s older brother. He is 15” Kevin showed the photo to the four kids, who all looked at the phone. 

“He looks like you Uncle Kevin” James stated, and Kevin rolled his eyes, inclining his head. 

“Yes he does. So you guys have an older cousin” Baylee looked at his parents, a little stunned. James, Holden, and Ava just smiled happily. 

“When can we meet him?” Ava asked, and AJ chuckled softly. 

“Couple of months sweetheart. Hopefully at the next family barbecue” Ava nodded, kissed her parents, and left to go play, James and Holden doing the same thing. Baylee hung back, as expected. 

“This is going to take some getting used to. I don’t know how I feel about this” Baylee admitted, and the adults all nodded. 

“And that is perfectly fine Bay, you do what you need to do. It will be a bit before you meet him anyway” Brian reassured his son, who nodded, going back to supervise the kids. 

“Well that went as expected. I am not surprised by Baylee’s reaction. Let’s just see what happens when Mason and his parents come over to meet y’all for the first time” Kevin smiled, and rubbed his head. 

“That should be fun” Nick snarked, and Brian hit him in the bicep. 

“It will be fine” Leigh stated reassuringly, and they all nodded. 

A few hours later, the others having gone home, and Max having gone to bed, Kevin and Kristin laid in bed themselves. They could hardly believe that they had met their oldest today, and finally had spilled a 15 year secret to their close family. The couple cuddled together, the smile never having left their face. They couldn’t wait to introduce their boys to each other soon. 


	4. Chapter 4

Mason shook his head as he got home from meeting his biological parents. He looked at his mom and dad, and asked if he could go see Zach, that he needed to talk to him. Liana and Dylan nodded, knowing their son needed to process the afternoon. 

“Go, spend the night with Zach, we will talk tomorrow when you get home” Liana kissed her son’s head, and watched him pack a bag before leaving next door to go see Zach. 

“Hey, you home dude?” Mason called, and Zach smiled hearing the older boy’s voice through the door. He opened it, and grabbed him into a hug. 

“How did it go man?” Zach backed away, and led Mason to his room. Zach’s aunt and uncle, who had custody of him, smiled seeing Mason come in. 

“Congrats Mason!” they called, and Mason went over and hugged them tightly. 

“Thanks Uncle Matt and Aunt Becca” he loved Zach’s aunt and uncle like they were his own. Matt and Becca grinned, and let the boys go hang out. They would call Dylan and Liana tomorrow to see how it went. 

“Alright, spill” Zach grinned as he and Mason hung out in the bean bags in Zach’s room, loading up video games. 

“I met them, and they are pretty cool. Here is a pic” Mason dug out his phone, and showed Zach the picture of him, Kevin, and Kristin. Zach’s eyes widened, and he looked from Mason to the picture and back. 

“Hell you look like your bio dad, with your bio mom’s hair” Zach exclaimed and Mason nodded. 

“Yep. And that’s not all. Have you ever heard of the Backstreet Boys?” Zach nodded, and his jaw dropped.

“Your biological dad is part of it, I can see it in my head. I listen to them all the time” the younger boy admitted, and Mason’s eyes lit up. 

“Do you have any of their CD’s?” Mason asked, and Zach nodded, jumping up, and putting a CD in his stereo letting it play. Mason listened, a smile on his face. He heard a voice, and looked at Zach.

“That’s Kevin, my biological dad” Zach nodded, and the two boys listened while they played video games. Mason looked over at Zach after a bit, a small smile on his face. 

“I have a little brother” he told his best friend, and chuckled softly at Zach’s reaction. 

“What?!” Zach got out, and Mason nodded.

“His name is Maxwell, and he’s 5” Zach smiled, and the two settled back down. 

Mason continued telling Zach about his biological parents, and told him about keeping in contact with them. Zach was beyond happy for his best friend, and wished he could have the same. His parents had died when he was young, and he was beyond grateful for his Uncle Matt and Aunt Becca for taking him in. The two teens fell asleep in the bean bags as usual, and Mason went home the next day, feeling lighter. 

A few weeks later, Mason had done some thinking, and he was ready to meet another part of his biological family. He hadn’t heard from Kevin or Kristin, and he wanted to see them again. After school one day, he went to his mom, who was working on supper for her, Mason, and Dylan. 

“Hey Mom, can I ask something?” Mason asked hesitantly, and Liana looked up smiling. 

“What have I always told you? No stupid questions in this house. Now, what would you like to ask?” Liana smiled, just looking at how well her son was doing with the upheaval in his life. 

“I want to set up a meeting with Kevin, Kristin, and my little brother” Mason looked at his mom, who grinned softly. 

“Dad and I have been expecting that for a week now. We knew you would want to meet Maxwell soon. I’ll call Kristin tomorrow, and see when they are free. The meeting will probably be at a park, so it’s a neutral location. Does that work baby?” Mason nodded, and hugged Liana tightly. He went off to finish some homework before dinner. 

“Hey Dyl, I’m in the kitchen!” Liana called, hearing the front door open. A few seconds later, Dylan walked in, tugging his tie off. 

“Hey babe, how are you?” Dylan wrapped his arms around his wife, kissing her cheek softly. 

“Good, got a call to make tomorrow” Liana laid back in his arms for a moment, before extracting herself to check on supper.

“The Richardson’s?” Dylan guessed, and Liana inclined her head. 

“Mason wants to meet Maxwell” Dylan nodded, and went to their bedroom to change. 

“Sounds good love” he called, before closing the bedroom door and taking a few moments for himself. 

The family of three had a wonderful dinner, before separating to do their own things. The next day, Liana called Kristin, and set up a meeting at the park for Saturday. The younger woman was ecstatic to hear that Mason wanted to meet his brother, and cheerfully told Liana that the three of them would be there. 

“We are going to the park at noon on Saturday, Kevin and Kristin are bringing Maxwell with them” Liana told her son later that day, once he got home from school.

“Awesome, can’t wait to see them again” Mason smiled, and hugged his mom, before going off to do homework. He wasn’t sure how the meeting would go, and he got too far into his head. 

“Max is going to be so jealous of you” his inner voice told him, and Mason shook his head. 

“No, he is only 5. He wants to meet me, I’m sure of it” Mason tried to justify, but the seeds of doubt had settled. He wasn’t hesitant to meet his little brother, but he was now worried about how Max would react to him. 


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday rolled around, and the Simmons family walked into the park, Mason looking around for his biological parents, the pit of doubt still in his brain. All of a sudden a little boy ran up to them, and hugged Mason tightly. The older boy looked down and smiled, realizing that it was Maxwell. The pit that had been plaguing him vanished, and Mason grinned, bending down to really look at his little brother for the first time. 

“Sorry guys, he saw Mason and just ran” Kevin got out as he ran up to the family. 

“It’s okay Kevin, we are just glad he is okay” Liana reassured the younger man, as Kristin made her way over. 

“Maxwell Haze, you do not run away from Mommy and Daddy. You scared us so much, we didn’t know where you were going” Kristin looked down at her son, who bit his lip. 

“Sorry Mommy, I just saw Mason and wanted to meet him” Max said sadly, and hugged Kristin in apology. 

“It's alright, just don’t do it again” Kristin ruffled her son’s hair before straightening back up. 

“Hi Mason, Liana, and Dylan. How are you all?” she asked, as Mason reached over for a hug. 

“Good, excited to have a fun day” Liana replied. 

“Well, this is our son, Max. Max, this is your brother Mason, his mom Liana, and his dad Dylan” Kevin put his hand on his son’s shoulder, pointing them out. 

“Hi Mason, hi Ms. Liana, hi Mr. Dylan” Max held his little hand out, Liana and Dylan shaking it, while Mason picked his little brother up. 

“Hi dude! So good to meet you” Max wrapped his arms around Mason’s neck, the brothers hugging tightly. 

“Hi Mason” Max nuzzled into Mason’s neck, content to be in his brother’s arms. The four adults tried not to coo at the adorable sight. 

The two families spent the day together, getting to know one another better, and letting Mason and Max bond with each other. Kevin and Kristin were so entirely happy to see their boys getting to know each other. Liana and Dylan started really feeling like Kevin, Kristin, and Max were becoming a part of their family. 

“Liana, Dylan, Kristin and I were wondering if you two along with Mason would like to come to our family cookout next month? We have them once a month when we are home to reconnect as a family. My bandmates and their families will be there. Honestly neither Kris nor I are close to our families. I do have one thing to tell you three though” Kevin sighed at the end of his statement, hating that he had kept this from them. 

“What do you need to tell us?” Dylan asked, his concern heightening. 

“I should have told you last time, but remember me mentioning Brian Littrell as one of my bandmates?” at the three’s nod, he continued “well he is my younger cousin. My dad and his mom were siblings. So Mason has a second cousin” 

“Really?” Mason asked, unable to believe he actually had more biological family. 

“Yep. Brian and I are super close, and he knew about your birth, but nothing else. We have also told them all about Mason, the night we came home from our first meeting” Kevin looked down at his hands, unsure of how Mason and his parents would take his deceit. 

“Kevin” at his name, Kevin looked up, into Liana’s brown eyes. 

“Thank you for telling us. We know why you didn’t. It would have overwhelmed Mason in the first meeting, and you just wanted to ease into things. It’s awesome to know he has more family. Dylan and I are sorry to hear that you and Kristin aren’t close to your biological families. We will come to the cookout, meet your bandmates and cousin” Liana smiled, and Kevin and Kristin grinned softly. 

“Hear that Max, your brother and Ms Liana and Mr Dylan are coming to the cookout” Kristin looked at her youngest, who grinned happily. 

“Yay! You can meet my cousins! They are awesome” Max smiled, and Mason looked curious at him. 

“Max, how many cousins do you have?” he asked, and Max grinned. 

“I have Baylee, James, Holden, and Ava” he announced, and Liana and Dylan looked to Kevin and Kristin for clarification. 

“Baylee is Brian and his wife Leighanne’s son. James and Holden are Howie and his wife Leigh’s sons. Ava is AJ and his wife Rochelle’s daughter, and she’s pregnant with their second. Nick is still single, but something tells me he is dating someone, but hasn’t shared yet” Kevin explained. 

“Okay we understand” Dylan smiled, and the happy meeting broke up, with Mason promising he would talk to Max soon. The teen smiled walking back to the car with his parents, happy to have spent another wonderful day with his biological family. 

Kevin and Kristin had a hard time pulling Max away from the Simmons family, but finally got him back into their car. Max talked their ear off about Mason the entire ride home, anxiously waiting for the next time that he could see his older brother. 

“You try and get him settled, I am gonna call Brian real quick” Kevin looked at Kristin, who sighed and nodded, chasing after their son. Kevin made his way to his office, and pulled his cell out. He looked at the wallpaper, the picture of his sons together, causing him to choke up a bit, before calling his cousin. 

“Hey Kev, what’s up?” Brian happily asked as he picked up the call. 

“Not much, just got back from hanging out with Mason and his parents” Kevin replied, and Brian grinned widely. 

“Awesome, how was it watching your sons meet for the first time?” Brian pulled his phone away from his ear, a text alert coming through. He saw it was from Kevin, and opened it. His grin nearly split his face, as he got back on the phone.

“Okay that picture is priceless. Both of them look so damn happy” Kevin nodded, and talked for a few minutes about the meeting. 

“Can you make sure we have extra food at the next cookout?” Kevin slyly asked, and Brian’s eyes widened. 

“They are coming?” he asked eagerly. 

“Yes, and they know that we are cousins. Max told Mason all about his cousins, and I explained the whole situation” Kevin leaned back in his chair, his grin having never left his face since they left the park. 

“Awesome, I’ll let the others know. Do you want me to share the photo with them as well?” Brian inquired. 

“Sure, but only send it to Howie, Nick, and AJ. That’s all I want, because I still don’t want this getting out to the wider world yet. It’s still too precious to us, and I don’t want to expose Dylan and Liana to the press and paparazzi if I can help it” Brian reassured his cousin that he would make sure the photo would not go beyond their family. 

Kevin got off the phone a few minutes later, and look at his phone not long after. Texts had come from Howie, Nick, and AJ. He opened them and saw the reactions from the rest of his family about his sons meeting for the first time. 

“Howie says we should get that photo framed and hang it up” Kevin told Kristin that night, and she snorted softly. 

“Let’s see if Liana and Dylan are okay with that first babe” Kristin reminded her husband, who nodded. 

This was harder than they thought, they didn’t want to disrespect their son’s parents wishes. The two wanted to display the photos in the home, but knew that it would lead to questions that they weren’t ready to answer yet. Kevin and Kristin had known it would be easier once Mason was 18, but both knew they couldn’t wait that long. It had been Kristin’s idea to contact the agency to get in contact with their son’s adoptive family. Things had gone well, but both wondered what would happen in a month, when the cookout took place, and Mason met the rest of his biological extended family. 


	6. Chapter 6

The next month passed slowly, Mason hanging out with his biological family another time after Max begged his parents, and Mason was missing seeing the little guy. The teen was apprehensive about meeting the rest of his biological father’s bandmates, and their families. He sighed softly one night, as he lay in bed. His mind started wandering, and he sank too far once again. 

“This isn’t going to go well. Max’s cousins aren’t going to be too happy to see an intruder on their dynamic. Maybe you should tell Mom and Dad that you need more time” the voice in his head spoke as Mason groaned. 

“No, I won’t do that. I am sure that they are all around Max’s age, and will just be happy to see an older playmate for them” Mason tried to reason. 

“Maybe, maybe not. I just hope that they all accept you, and don’t reject you” his inner voice trailed off, and Mason groaned as he tried to shut it off. 

Mason slept fitfully the next couple of nights, the dreams of rejection and the cookout not going well plaguing him. He sighed as he sat in the back of the car, his dad driving them over to Kevin and Kristin’s home. His eyes widened as he realized that his biological parents only live an hour away from him. 

“We are here” Mason’s jaw dropped as he took in the larger than normal home. 

“Well, he is considered a celebrity, so it makes sense” Mason thought, as he made his way to the front door. Liana rang the doorbell, and Kevin answered it happily. 

“Hey guys!” he hugged Mason and Liana, and gave Dylan a firm handshake, along with a pat on the back. 

“Hey Kevin, nice home” Dylan looked around, it was tastefully decorated. 

“It’s all Kristin. I’m never here long enough it seems to take it all in” Kevin ruefully said, and Mason’s parents nodded. Kevin watched as Mason looked over, seeing the baby photos of Max all over the hutches and piano scattered around the house. He bit his lip, before looking back at Kevin. 

“We have pictures of you, we just don’t keep them out. Mainly because it doesn’t feel right, since we didn’t raise you. We also didn’t want to disrespect your parents. You better believe that we have a picture of you on our bedside tables. Do you actually want to see the only baby photo we have of you? We only took one in the hospital” Kevin asked, and Mason nodded. 

Kevin ran up to his bedroom, and grabbed the box that he and Kristin had kept hidden all these years. He pulled Kristin out from the backyard, telling everyone that they would be back. 

“Mason wants to see the one baby picture of him that we have” Kevin said lowly to Kristin, who nodded softly, tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. 

“Hey Mason, Liana, Dylan” Kristin smiled seeing her oldest again, and hugged his parents along with Mason. 

“Hi Kristin” Mason said happily, watching Kevin dig in the box, pulling out a photo and showing it to Mason.

“That’s you in Kristin’s arms, about an hour old. We wanted one photo to keep that we could look back at” Kevin pulled Kristin into his arms, as she wiped a tear. Mason looked up, and handed the photo to his mom and dad, before going into Kevin and Kristin’s arms. 

“Thank you, that means the world to me” he whispered, and the two hugged him tightly. 

“You ready to meet the rest of them?” Kristin asked, and Mason nodded his head. 

“Mom, Dad, you coming?” he turned back towards them, and Liana and Dylan nodded. 

“Of course son, let’s go” Liana replied, taking her husband’s hand. She and Dylan knew that Mason would spend most of the time with Kevin and Kristin today, and that was perfectly fine with them. 

Mason walked behind Kevin and Kristin, as they all made their way into the backyard. Kevin whistled, and all attention was put their way. The couple moved aside, and the family got their first look at Mason. Brian grinned, and made his way over first. 

“Hey Mason, my name is Brian, and I am your cousin” Brian stuck his hand out, but Mason hugged him instead. 

“Hi Brian, it’s so good to meet you” no one noticed Baylee’s slight jealous look as he looked on from the pool. 

“Okay, do you want everyone to come, or do you just want to do it yourself?” Kevin asked Mason, who smiled. 

“Let me do this on my own. I’ll make my rounds, meet everyone. Hey Max” Mason looked down, as a tiny missile shot into his legs. 

“Hi Mason, come on, meet my cousins!” Max grabbed his hand, and pulled Mason towards the pool. The teen sat on the edge, and dipped his legs into the water. 

“That’s James, Holden, Ava, and Baylee” Mason followed Max’s finger, waving to them all. He noticed that Baylee rolled his eyes and swam away from where Max had pointed him out. 

“Hi guys, it’s good to meet you” Mason smiled, as he saw someone sit next to him. 

“Hey Mason, I’m Leigh, James and Holden’s mom, and Howie’s wife” Leigh introduced herself, before slipping into the pool to keep an eye on the kids. 

“Hey Leigh, how are you?” he asked, smiling watching the brothers dunk each other in the water. 

“Good, just refereeing the boys, as always” she rolled her eyes, as she separated her sons yet again. 

Liana and Dylan were watching the scene happily, before a couple came up to them, smiling. The two had gotten beers from Kevin, and were talking with him about Mason, and their attention was diverted by the new prescense. 

“Liana, Dylan, this is AJ and Rochelle. Their little girl is in the pool with the other kids” Kevin introduced the two, and they smiled, shaking hands with the younger couple. 

“How much longer do you have?” Liana asked, seeing Rochelle’s round belly. Rochelle grinned, caressing her belly. 

“About another month” AJ wrapped his arm around his wife, putting his own hand on her belly. 

“I miss being pregnant. We actually got lucky once, but lost him during delivery. We could never have another” Liana stated wistfully, as Dylan tightened his hold around his wife. 

“I am so sorry” Kevin, AJ, and Rochelle gave their condolences, and Liana nodded thankfully.

“It’s been almost 20 years now. Why we are so lucky for Mason. He is our world” Dylan replied, and they nodded softly. 

Meanwhile, Mason had met Howie, Leighanne, and Nick. He was still leery about Baylee, who completely ignored him. Ava, James, and Holden were just as enamored with him as Max was. He grinned as he played with them, the time passing by. 

“Dinner!” Kevin called, as Brian and Nick helped him get everything off the grill. The family headed inside, and sat at the extended table, Mason sitting in between his parents. They all said grace before Kevin cleared his throat. 

“I would just like to welcome Mason, Liana, and Dylan into our extended Backstreet family. They are forever welcome to any and all of our events. Kristin and I are so grateful that our oldest son was adopted into a wonderful family that raised him so well. Thank you Dylan and Liana, from the bottom of our hearts” Kevin toasted his son’s parents, with all of them saying “Hear hear” in response. 

“Thank you” Liana took her husband’s hand, and smiled at all of them. 

“When we found out who our son’s biological parents were, we admit we were hesitant, especially after finding out how famous Kevin is. But you all have proven us wrong. You are just as down to earth as any other family, and it’s so refreshing to see. Dylan and I are so happy to be included in your family, and we can’t wait to see where the years take all of us now” Liana spoke softly, and saw the smiles blooming on the adult’s faces. 

“Let’s eat!” Kevin called, and they all dug in. 

“So Mason, what are you considering after high school?” Howie asked, and Mason blushed softly. 

“I love video games, and I am interested in design, so possibly graphic design, or something in that area” Mason admitted, and he saw the genuine smiles. 

“Of course he doesn’t want to sing, doesn’t want to admit his roots” Baylee muttered under his breath, and a squeeze to his thigh told him that he was heard. He looked up to see the dangerous look in his father’s eyes. 

“Guest bedroom after dinner” Brian whispered in his son’s ear, and Baylee nodded. 

The rest of dinner went smoothly, with the family doing their best to make Liana, Dylan, and Mason feel welcome. Mason settled in, and besides Baylee, felt completely comfortable with the entire family. Liana and Dylan were feeling the same. Once dinner broke up, no one noticed Brian and Baylee slip away. Brian followed his son into the guest bedroom, shutting and locking the door, before facing his son. 

“Okay, what was with the comment, and your behavior toward Mason, Baylee Thomas?” Brian asked his son, who looked down, playing with his fingers. 

“I hate how Mason was just sprung on us, and finding out that I had a cousin that I never knew about hurt. I also am struggling with not being the oldest anymore Dad. This entire situation just hurts. I don’t know how to deal with all of this” Baylee looked into his dad’s blue eyes, and Brian sighed softly. 

“Bay, I couldn’t tell you. I promised Kevin and Kristin 15 years ago when Mason was born I would never mention that they had an older son. I never even told your mother, because it was that important to your cousins. Mason is not at fault for this. He had no idea who his biological parents were, or that his birth was a big secret that his parents and I kept for so long” Brian looked at his son, who dropped his head down into his hands. 

“I understand Dad, but this is going to take time to get used to. I will try with Mason, I just hope I haven’t screwed it completely up” Baylee looked up at Brian, who smiled softly. 

“You haven’t even talked to him. Go out there and introduce yourself, and see what happens” Brian pushed his son towards the door, and followed as Baylee went out to find Mason. 

“Mason, hi. I am your cousin Baylee, sorry for my attitude before” Baylee looked at his older cousin, who smiled at him. 

“Hi Baylee, so glad to have someone close to my age around here. I understand your reaction. It must be hard never knowing you had a cousin, and I don’t think you are the oldest anymore right?” Baylee nodded. 

“Yea, I’m 12” Mason grinned and bro-hugged Baylee, before the two separated. 

“We gotta stick together, those little kids are gonna overtake us soon” Mason whispered in Baylee’s ear, and the preteen grinned. 

“Yea definitely” the two went off to talk, and Brian, Leighanne, Kevin, Kristin, Liana, and Dylan smiled happily at the scene. 

“That went well” was all that was said, and the night continued. A few hours later, Mason and his parents left, promising to come back soon. Kevin and Kristin made sure to get a new family picture. The entire family smiled as the camera went off, happy that new family had been discovered. Mason was so beyond happy to have found such a big and loving family to have added to his own family. As he fell asleep that night, he thanked every deity out there that he had such loving parents that easily accepted his biological family, and biological family that wholly accepted his parents. Mason smiled as he slept, dreaming of the next adventure he would go on with his entire family. 


End file.
